


The Wrong Way

by MovingPen



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: AU: Nothing Goes Right, F/M, Gen, Yiga!Link
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-05 09:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10303901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MovingPen/pseuds/MovingPen
Summary: AU where the Yiga Clan aren’t totally useless, Zelda sealed Ganon but wasn’t trapped in Hyrule Castle, and Link meets someone else entirely when he wakes up from his 100 year slumber.





	1. Open Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a long, long while since I wrote fic. Breath of the Wild is a real gem, but I feel like it's story had a lot of unfulfilled potential. Like, for example: What if Link, without his memories, got found by the Yiga Clan instead of the Old Man? Where would that take him? 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I'm sure this first chapter is a bit slow, but it was important for me to start near the beginning of the game. Constructive criticism is welcome, and comments are very appreciated!

_"... your eyes.”_

That was the first thing Link heard when he woke up. The voice was soft, almost like a thought, but he couldn’t place it.

_“Open your eyes, Link.”_

He did as he was told, feeling the comfort of the water he’d been submerged in begin to sink away. Above him, dim blue lights pulsed like a heartbeat. As he woke up, his thoughts began to race; _Where am I?_

The voice didn’t answer. “ _Open your eyes, Link. We’re waiting for you—we’ve been waiting a long, long time. Please…”_ Then, the softest gasp. _“He’s awake.”_

Then, nothing.

He sat up, squinting into the darkness around him. The only other light in the room came from several feet away, seemingly suspended in thin air. It took him an embarrassingly long time to get the hang of standing, and even longer to walk confidently, but he managed to make it across the room to claim the light that was waiting for him.

It was a small tablet, about the width of his palm and twice it’s length, and it possessed the same ethereal glow as the light above. To the top, a handle. An obvious prompt.

He reached to pick it up without thinking about it, the motion familiar yet entirely new, and it beeped. The screen lit up to show a symbol he’d never seen before—an eye adorned with all manner of decorations—before going dim.

There was a long pause. Link found himself looking to the darkness above, daring to step forward without knowing if his feet would find solid ground.

“Hello?” he asked, hoping that the voice from before might come back and tell him what was next. The sound of his own voice surprised him. Not hoarse or dry; young, boyish, but not high-pitched. It was a sound he wasn’t sure he liked.

The silence stretched on for minutes. He pocketed the tablet, slowly moving through the darkness. Stairs greeted him, as did an untimely fall. That was when the voice returned.

_“Ah, you’ve found the Shiekah slate! Good, good. I suppose you’re wondering why I left it with you, seeing as it held all my research so long ago.”_

The tablet sounded again, and Link gave it his full attention.

_“What you’re looking at is a map. It shows you where I’ll meet you once you… ah, the door. Just place the Sheikah slate on the pedestal near the exit.”_

Link held the slate away from him, using it as a makeshift torch to find his way. It didn’t take him long to find the podium she’d mentioned; the symbol it bore was identical to the one he’d seen earlier. “This thing?” He asked, still not sure if the voice could hear.

_“Go on, Link.”_

He hoped that was a yes.

The door opened with the overwhelming, endless grating of stone-on-stone. The earth felt like it was coming undone beneath his feet, and just when he thought things couldn’t get any more unmanageable, a blinding light filtered down into the chamber. He could feel the heat of the sun on his face and shoulders, and the only thing left between him and whatever wonder waited past the doorway was a short, steep cliff.

_“I can’t wait to see you again. We have much to do and even more to discuss. Keeping this connection with you exhausts what little magic I have, so you may not hear from me again for a long wh—“_

Link was listening to her while making the short climb, and upon reaching the top he was greeted by two figures. Without his eyes adjusted to the light, they looked like two silhouettes from a shadow-puppet play. One was bigger than life, and the other looked like a birch-tree that hadn’t had enough time to grow. 

“Well, what do you know,” Said the woman who decidedly looked like a tree, “It’s the Hylian Champion in the flesh. I guess the boss was right.”

“I’ll be damned.” This time, it was a man. His voice was almost sonorous, and he spoke in a much slower manner. “Look at him. He’s so short. No wonder the boss only sent two of us.”

Link brushed himself off, drawing himself to his full height (not that it had anything to do with the man’s comment, of course). “Who are you?”

He shielded his eyes from the dying sun, and the two in front of him became much clearer. The woman had a frighteningly slim frame and a mature face; her hair was chopped unevenly and her eyes were notably narrow. Her partner had more of a completion, his eyes downturned and droopy. While Link was wary, he couldn’t see either of them as an obvious threat. In fact, if anything, they looked like migrants with how many bags they were carrying on their backs.

 “Who are we?” The tree asked, mocking, “Who are _we?_ You ever heard of the Yiga clan?”

“…Yiga Clan?” Link replied, looking them both over more critically. He only barely caught the large one say, _“Tabitha, he’s in his underwear.”_

Tabitha either ignored him or didn’t hear. “You’ve never heard of the Yiga Clan? Brutus, he’s never heard of the Yiga clan!” Her hands reached behind herself, going for a weapon that Link couldn’t see. Brutus’s hand on her shoulder stopped her mid-grab.

“Wait. You’ve never heard of the Yiga Clan?”

Link shook his head.

Brutus’s brow furrowed, and Tabitha relaxed, too. They looked at one another with outright confusion—mixed with a healthy dose of suspicion.  

“What about Ganon?” Tabitha asked.

Something about the name was familiar, but only in the same way the voice in the chamber had been. “No.”

She physically drew back, “You’re not joking? You don’t know—“

“Tabitha,” Brutus admonished, keeping his hand on her shoulder.

“Brutus, he’s a _Champion._ There’s no way he doesn’t know—“

“ _Tabitha.”_ This time, imploring.

Brutus picked up the conversation, speaking slowly. “We’re from the Yiga Clan. We’ve been waiting here for you for a long time—you’re a famous warrior. Legend says that you were the most powerful and loyal defender of King Ganon.”

That rang a bell, somewhere deep down. Defending the crown.  

“Brutus, wh—“ Tabitha was staring at him like he was crazy, but one look from Brutus brought back an understanding “Oh. _Oh.”_

“100 years ago,” Brutus started walking, and Link followed to listen, “King Ganon ruled Hyule. He brought together the monsters and the people of this land to help ensure peace, but there were those who didn’t want to see Ganon’s peace come to pass. A Hylian witch cursed him,” They came to a stop at the top of a nearby hill that offered a fine view of the expanse below. On the horizon, Hyrule Castle stood in all it’s malformed glory. “To exist as a monster himself, until the end of time.”

“You were hurt real bad,” Brutus continued, “So we—the Yiga clan— we put you to sleep for almost one hundred years so you could heal. But now you’re back. You following so far?”

Link had been staring at the castle on the horizon while he spoke, eyes narrow against the still foreign sun. “… I don’t remember.”

“Hm. Maybe it’s for the best,” Brutus patted his back with a gentle force that almost made him stumble forward, “It _has_ been 100 years, after all. No good missing everything that’s gone now.”

“Yeah. Remembering would probably just make you all sad.” Tabitha added, “But, hey, it’s a good thing we’re here, right? We can take you back home. The boss’ll be so excited to finally meet you.”

Link turned to look at her, “Your boss?”

“Our clan leader. He’s a good guy—but home’s a long way from here. It’s going to be one hell of a walk. Think you have it in you, Hero?”

Before Link could reply, there was a shout from their right. An old man calling out for their attention, trying to climb the hill with the help of nothing but torch in one hand and a makeshift cane in the other. “Ho, travelers. What brings you to the plateau?” He asked, cloud-like beard bouncing with every word. “I don’t oft’ get visitors here.”

Link noticed the old man’s eyes were primarily focused on him; they were searching, inquisitive in a way that almost made him uncomfortable.

Tabitha stepped forward, “Get lost, old man. We’re here on important business. Get back to cutting down trees.”

“But miss, the sun is setting. The night is long and quite dangerous. I saw you off in the distance and felt I had to offer you shelter for the night. Young as you are, it would be a shame to see you fall against the monsters that come out under the moon.”

“We can handle ourselves,” Tabitha spat at him, folding her arms. “Come on, Brutus. Hero.”

She turned to go, and Brutus followed suit. Link was the one who hesitated, much to the old man’s relief. “They called you a Hero. Why is that?” The man asked it like he already knew, but Link didn’t seem to be listening.

Instead, he was focused on something else entirely. The torch, held aloft by the old man. “What’s that?” He asked.

“Ah…” The old man muttered it, taking a minute to process the strangely simple question. “My torch?”

He nodded, then after a pause; “Can I have it?”

“…I… I suppose, if it would help you see in the night ahead. But I must warn you,” he handed it off, “It’s not all that strong, and I’ve heard we can expect a Blood Moon tonight. You’ve heard of the blood moon, have you not?”

“No,” Link took the torch from him, swinging it this way and that; it was lightweight, and—he had an idea. The old man started talking about the red moon that would light up the sky once every few weeks, and Link started setting the nearby grass on fire. If he was being honest, he loved the feeling he got from being close to it. He didn’t have a word for it yet—another thing lost to time—but it was nice.

“… and it brings the monsters travelers have slain back t—whoa there, boy! What are you doing? In the plains, fire spreads quickly. There’s no telling how far the damage will travel—certainly you know—“

“Link!” Tabitha shouted, now a good distance away, “What are you doing? I told you, we have a long walk ahead of us!”

“Yeah!” He shouted back, looking at the old man only once more before making an attempt to run after his new companions. He let the torch glide across the grass as he caught up, leaving the smallest blaze in his wake.

The old man didn’t move as the flames kicked licked at his heels, watching the speck of light disappear over the hills into the distance.

* * *

As the night wore on and the moon rose, the horizon was painted with a dim red light. It was a wonder Link had never seen before, and he stopped more than once to stare. The air was tinged with the smell of smoke and something rancid.

“Beautiful, huh?” Tabitha slowed up to walk beside him, “That’s what we call the Moon of Restoration. Every few days, the moon rises red and Ganon brings back his slain followers. Pretty cool, huh?”

Link didn’t indicate he’d heard, finally managing to draw his eyes back to the path ahead.

He had a lot of questions stirring around in his mind, but he wasn’t sure where to begin. There was so much missing; all these things they said he’d done, the idea that he’d been asleep for almost a century—what was he supposed to ask?

Thankfully, it wasn’t his job to fill the silence. Tabitha was more than happy to talk enough for all three of them.

“We’re going to the southwest,” She explained, “It’s a long way from here, and we’re going to have to do a lot of climbing. And you, uh… jeeze. I guess we need to get you some clothes, don’t we. People’ll really stare if we’re wandering around with a naked guy.”

Link’s face flushed a bit, even though he hadn’t had the mind to be embarrassed about his lack of pants earlier. 

“Brutus, you have some extra clothes with you, right? Just till we get to the next town.”

The exchange continued for a while until Brutus tossed Link an oversized red shirt with pants that matched. They might’ve been any other color, but under the light of the moon, everything was crimson.

“They won’t fit you, probably.” Brutus admitted, “But it’s better than nothing.”

Link handed the torch off to Tabitha to step into his new clothes, and with a belt or three, everything stayed in it’s proper place.

“Looks… good,” Tabitha tried to smile despite the obvious lie, “We’ll have you back mingling with society in no time.”

“And back in some fitting clothes,” Brutus added, patting his back hard enough to send him stumbling forward.

It reminded Link of something—the inkling of a long-forgotten memory—but it kept itself just out of reach.

* * *

Many miles away, safety nestled past the Dueling Peaks and the river dividing them, Zelda knelt in front of Kakariko Village’s Goddess Statue. It wasn’t a true spring, no, but it was one of the few active spiritual vestiges in Hyrule. She was hoping—praying—she could draw on some of the longstanding faith in the village to amplify her abilities, but in all the hours since her first contact with Link, she’d only been met with silence.

“It’s getting late,” Impa, now old and haggard, hobbled out to stand beside her. “You’d be mindful to get inside before the chill sets in.”

“I heard him, Impa. I felt him wake up,” She looked up at her from where she was kneeling, “I’ve told him where to go—how to find us, here, but… I fear he’ll get lost.”

“That boy is never lost,” Impa laughed, offering Zelda her arm to help her to her feet, “You of all people should know he’ll come rushing back to your side one way or another.”

Zelda got to her feet with Impa’s help, brushing off herself off. “I know, I know, but Purah said there was a chance he may… forget. I hope he’s not out there alone tonight. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not know where or who you are, faced with what remains…”

“I’m sure he’s fine, Princess.” Impa smiled, offering her arm a reassuring pat, “That boy is stronger and braver than I think any of us ever knew. I assure you, if he’s heard your voice, he’s on his way here right now.”

“I hope so.” Zelda returned her smile in the slightest, “I so hope so.”

She followed Impa back into her home, her mind a whirlwind of worries. “If he hasn’t arrived in two days time, I’ll go search for him. I can sense his presence, sometimes. It wouldn’t take long to meet him halfway—“

“Zelda, please.” Impa let her arm go to find her seat in the center of the room, “He will be fine. Trust in me; trust in him. And, for the Goddesses sake, try to get some sleep.”

Zelda looked at her for a long moment, her argument bubbling just below the surface, but retired to the room she shared upstairs with Paya. It was a small space for the two of them; where a desk had once been, a second bed had been squeezed in. Zelda had taken as much of Paya’s space as she needed, seeing as she had so much to organize and so much to do now that she was back, but every time she walked into the room she was hit again by a pang of guilt. Though Paya said it was no inconvenience to relinquish her room, the spread of Zelda’s research really left very little room for Paya to live.

Speaking of Paya, she sat on her own bed penning some new entry in her long-worn diary. Her hair was frizzy from a long-day’s work, but it was hardly out of the ordinary. She didn’t speak, and Zelda changed into her nightclothes with an uncomfortable silence hanging over her shoulders.

She sat on her bed, pulling her hair over her shoulder to braid while her eyes flickered to Paya every other minute. She opened her mouth more than once, finally decidedly focusing on her braid with downcast eyes.

“Something on your mind, Lady Zelda?” Paya asked, closing her diary and setting it off to the side. “You seem anxious.”

She was the only one that she saw regularly that didn’t call her Princess Zelda. Maybe it was because the times had changed—maybe it was because Princess was no longer her official title. Regardless, it always felt like a barb in conversation.

“Link woke up today. My knight—you’ve heard of him in legends, I’m sure.”

Paya sat up straighter, her white hair falling long behind her back, “Master Link? My grandmother’s been waiting for him for as long as she’s been waiting for you—it’s worried her for years, not knowing if he’d…”

Zelda cut her off. “Your grandmother is precisely the reason I’m so worried. I know where he is, and there’s a fair chance he’s got no idea who he is or what he’s meant to do. I’m…” She closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts, “If he’s not back in two days, I’m going to go find him myself. Impa thinks the idea is insane.”

“You can’t put yourself in such danger,” Paya told her, speaking quietly, “I can’t imagine what my grandma would do if, after waiting for you for 100 years, you went out and got killed by some monster in the night.”

“As if I’d be so careless. My magic’s awoken now; I can be more formidable than anyone knows.”

“… Pardon me for saying so, Lady Zelda, but you began your slumber not long after exhausting your first—and only—burst of magic. Have you really had so much time to become proficient in the last two weeks?”

               Zelda focused on braiding her hair, brows drawing together. “You don’t know how magic works. My entire life has been devoted to it’s understanding; do not presume that I’m overestimating my abilities.”

               Paya’s silence was more than enough of an indicator that she’d overstepped some line, so she let the silence hang before continuing. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. Goodnight, Paya.”

               “…Goodnight, Lady Zelda.”

* * *

 

                Link was just as fascinated by what the light of day revealed as he had been with the moon that preceded it. The grass was brilliantly green, the sky was a cloudless blue, and the only thing he could see for miles around were free flowing fields.

               His companions had grown sluggish as the sun rose, and eventually stopped beneath a large apple tree to set their things down. “Why couldn’t you have woken up during the day?” Tabitha asked, shrugging off the large pack she’d been hauling around, “Gods, my legs.”

               Brutus sat down with a dull thud, “Its good to travel at night. Run into less people, y’know.”

               While they spoke, Link made to climb the tree they’d settled under.

               “…What’s he doing?” Tabitha asked Brutus, then Link. “Hey, Hero, what are you doing?”

               He didn’t answer until he reached the top of the tree, picking one apple after the other. “Found some apples. Looking around. Better view up here.”

               And it was true. The fields he could see from the ground blossomed with more of a birds-eye view, and for the first time, he saw what bordered it all.

               A cliff, steeper than any he’d ever seen.

“…How’re we gunna get down?” He asked, chomping into one of the apples he’d just picked.

“We’ll climb,” Tabitha replied, “Toss one of those down here.”

Link did, stuffing the rest into his oversized shirt. “Seems like a dangerous climb.”

“Yeah, if you’re a moron,” Tabitha rolled her eyes, “The cliff’s actually made up of an old fortress wall. If you know where to get in, there’re stairs that’ll take you right out to the bottom.”

“Huh.” He muttered, narrowing his eyes like it might help him see further. He could see mountains in the distance, a river or two, but nothing that inspired any familiarity. Satisfied that he’d made all he could of what he could see, he found a comfortable position in the branches and took a closer look at the slate he’d plucked from the chamber in which he’d woken up.

After some poking and prodding, it showed him an enlarged view of whatever he pointed it at. His first target was Tabitha, then Brutus—not that he gleaned anything new from either of them—but then he turned it towards the land beyond the drop off.

He could see ruins spotted throughout the fields beyond. Broken houses, burned gates—even a moving dot or two. His viewfinder drifted over closer to the malformation that was Hyrule Castle, and saw more clearly the monster that was keeping guard around the tallest towers. It thrashed and roared, tearing anything and everything it could find apart.

But that wasn’t what caught his attention.

A creature with arms made of blades was scaling the side of the castle, it’s monstrous limbs hauling it up the incline at a terrifying pace. As Link focused in on it, it’s head turned. A bright blue light locked in on him, flashing white.

It made something in Link’s chest jolt. Fear, maybe. Adrenaline. A splitting pain that traveled from his heart straight to his head.

A memory.

               The slate fell from his hands, landing in Tabitha’s lap, and Link followed soon after.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Link and Zelda dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooo, look at that!   
> To be clear, this fic definitely caters to those of you who've played other Zelda games. Hope you enjoy, and please comment if you did!

Thankfully, as Link fell, Brutus rose to catch him.

“Whoa, whoa— You’ve got to be careful, Hero. It’d really suck if you did yourself in by falling from a tree after 100 years.”

“And you could’ve _broken my neck,”_ Tabitha added, “If Brutus had been any slower, you would’ve had to bury me long before we got back to the hideout.”

Their voices sounded miles away to Link. The pain in his chest was fading slowly, as was the cacophony of sound that bounced around his mind. It sounded like a battle, but he couldn’t hold on to it long enough for anything to come into focus. He could almost hear someone’s voice, could almost see something past the bright light—

But when he opened his eyes, all he saw was Brutus’s face hanging above him.

“You good?” He slowly set Link back down on his feet, and Link answered with a nod. “What was that?”

“Might not’ve healed all the way.” Tabitha noted, picking up the slate that’d fallen from the tree alongside Link, “Could be dying all over again. Sure would make our j—“

Brutus kicked her, and she shut up.

“Annnyway,” She continued, “What’s this thing? Looks like a really fancy piece of jewelry.”

Link shrugged, holding out his hand to take the slate back. Tabitha obliged reluctantly, leaning against the trunk of the tree.

“How about you keep to the ground from now on, Hero?” She suggested, pulling out what looked like a bedroll from her pack, “We all need to get some rest if we want to make good time tonight.”

Brutus did the same, setting up a tarp to keep the sun off them both. “Hey, Hero, why don’t you go grab us some firewood, huh? There’re plenty of branches around here.”

“What? You’re going to let him wander off alone? Brutus, what if he—“

“What? Runs off into the wilds? Gets lost looking for firewood less than a quarter mile away? We’re doing this kid a big favor, taking him all the way back to the valley. The least he can do is make it easier for us along the way. Go grab us some wood.”

Link wasn’t opposed to the idea, given he did feel like he owed them something for helping him get his bearings in this world he didn’t know, and nodded sternly before jogging off into the nearest small wooded area.

None of the trees were packed densely together, so he’d have been lying to himself if he called it a true forest, but it was serene in the same way he imagined a forest might be. There were plenty of birds and frogs—even deer, once in a while. Farther on in, he could even see what looked like a small cabin.

Keeping the firewood in the back of his mind, he started that way, pulling out a second apple to tide him over from here to there. Most of the trees near the cabin had been felled already, leaving several stumps scattered about the forest floor, and closer still sat several bundles of dry firewood.

He picked two of them up without a second thought, apple wedged firmly between his teeth, when a familiar voice caught his attention.

“You there, boy!” The old man yelled, trotting over in a way that was impressive for a man of his age, “My wood—that’s my wood. You can’t be—“ He cut himself off, coming to a guarded stop a few feet away.

“What… where did you get those clothes, boy?”

Link didn’t set the wood down, looking at himself to see what might’ve caught his eye. The clothes were red and baggy, but now that he looked at himself in the daylight, he could see a symbol etched in black across the chest.

The old man approached him more cautiously now, expression severe. “Was it those travelers? The ones I saw you with last night?”

               After a moment’s hesitation, Link nodded.

               The old man scoffed, looking off to the side with a furrowed brow, and then met Link’s eyes with a renewed intensity. “I may not look it, but I know more about your situation than meets the eye. Your name is Link, correct? The Hero who’s slept a century.”

               That made Link set the wood down.

               The man smiled, “You don’t know who you are, really, or what you’ve woken up to, but you did hear a voice when you woke up. A young woman.”

               “...” Link took the apple out of his mouth slowly, “How did you know about the voice?”

               “How indeed.” He turned to walk back towards his cabin, leaving Link waiting.

               Link looked back towards Brutus and Tabitha only briefly before following the old man into the even older cabin.

               The walls and roof were wearing thin, and the floor creaked under his bare feet. Every step was carefully taken to ward against splinters, but he eventually found purchase on a ratty carpet. “How did you know about the voice?” Link asked again.

               “Like many others, I’ve been waiting for you a long time. I take it you don’t recognize my voice… or my face.”

               Link squinted, trying to bring anything up from the dregs of his memory, but nothing came back.

               “It’s alright, boy. You’ve lost much in your slumber; perhaps it’s for the best. But know those that accompany you now—they’re snakes. If they were the ones who gave you that accursed uniform, I can promise you they were waiting here in the hopes of ending your life quickly.”

               “The Yiga Clan is a group of warriors who’ve fought for the Calamity Ganon as long as history remembers. They’re the descendants of the Shekiah that defected during the Great Schism of times long past; thorough-blood traitors, and dangerous, untrustworthy vipers. What have they told you?”

               “That I fought for a King. Ganon. They told me he’s that’s been cursed for one hundred years to live as a monster by a witch.”

               “A witch?” The old man said it ponderously, but then lit up with a laugh. “A witch! Zelda—Princess Zelda. Oh, my boy, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The abomination razing Hyrule Castle was no King, and the maiden who sealed him was no witch. She was a Princess, and her father ruled Hyrule justly. Surely her name rings a bell. Princess Zelda.”

Link stared him with no recognition. Only suspicion.

The light faded from his features.

“Your mind has been wounded as badly as your body, it seems.” He mumbled. “Not to worry. I’m sure it will return to you in time. But for now, I suggest you listen to what the voice has told you. It will lead you to the answers you seek.”

               “How can I know if what you’ve told me is the truth?” Link asked him, “If you’re on the side of the witch—“

               “You’re going to have to have faith, Link. The Kingdom has believed in you for a century—countless people have been praying for your safe return. Repay their faith in you by having some faith in me.”

               Silence passed between the two of them. There was a yell from outside, an indistinct call, and Link turned to look out past the door. When he looked back towards the old man, he was gone.

* * *

         As soon as the sun rose, Zelda was back in front of the Goddess Statue. She focused every hour, letting her magic wax and wane in an attempt to get through to Link again. Time and time again, she was met with silence. She could almost feel herself in a space beyond physicality after a while; a place where there was nothing but darkness and the echoes of her own thoughts.

               But she found the longer she stayed there, the less dark it became. In the distance, in all directions, she could see specks of light. From those lights came a line between earth and sky, and from there endless plains opened up before her. The quiet was tainted with whispers, and if she focused, she could just barely make out what they were saying.

               _“He’s back.”_

_“I heard her, I know.”_

_“I knew he would wake up. I knew he would come back.”_

_“We’re going to finish this.”_

               She found herself in this strange space, and took a tentative step forward. The ground ignighted beneath her feet, not in a blaze, but in a whirlwind of flora and fauna.

In the back of her mind, she recognized this place from a description she’d read in countless books. It’s name eluded her now, but she knew it’s function; a realm set apart from time and space to guard the Triforce. A place touched by only spirits and gods.

“Hello?” She asked, her voice reverberating through the empty space. “Hello? Can anyone hear me?”

In the distance, the voices became livelier but more indistinct. It was like they were chatting a room over, and no matter how closely she pressed her ear to the wall, nothing could be understood.

               _“Zelda,”_ The voice was loud, clear, and baritone, “ _My daughter. My princess.”_

               “…Father?” She asked, trying to follow the sound of his voice. It seemed to be coming from everywhere.

               _“I’ve met him. Your knight. He’s awake, but he’s forgotten everything he once held dear. Even your name drew no recognition from his eyes.”_

               The confirmation sent a pang through Zelda’s heart unlike any she’d ever felt before. “Is he well otherwise? Is he heading this way?”

               _“… That I do not know. There were others waiting for him when he awoke. Fiends the likes of which you met 100 years ago.”_ A pause. “ _The Yiga.”_

               “Did they hurt him?” She was frantic now, losing focus. “Is he still—“

               _“He’s alive, Zelda, but they’ve told him dastardly lies. Without an inkling of who he once was, I fear he may walk down a path that proves disastrous to us all. I do not see the dedication in him that once led me to choose him to be your knight; what remains is wild.”_

               Zelda bit her lip, keeping her eyes closed while trying to find something to say, but her thoughts grew chaotic and she could feel herself slipping away from the dark world that’d taken her in.

               When she opened her eyes, the sun was high in the sky and the Goddess Statue still stood above her, carved face looking down at her. Always looking down—always mocking.

               She stood up, even though it was difficult with her legs feeling like static, and dared to look the statue dead in the eye.

               Her worst fears had been confirmed. Her knight was out in what remained of Hyrule with not a single memory to his name—and what was worse, he was being reintroduced to the world through the eyes of the Yiga.

               When she walked into Impa’s home, she didn’t so much as greet her former advisor before going upstairs and preparing her things. She could find him if she focused—she could track him down and bring him home. Regardless of how long it took, regardless of what stood in her way, she would find him.

She picked what she packed carefully; a second and third set of clothes, bandages, herbs, a single notebook, and a map that she’d drafted nearly 100 years ago. She was no stranger to traveling Hyrule—or she hadn’t been, back when she’d made her first pilgrimage to the three springs—and she was sure that she could handle venturing out again. The roads might be dangerous, but she had never been more determined.

               Impa caught her as she walked downstairs, standing in front of the exit.

               “Princess, I am sorry, but I cannot let you go.”

               Zelda exhaled, choosing her words carefully. “Nothing you can say will stop me from going to find him, Impa. I… heard something, today. While I was praying. He’s forgotten everything. Even me. What’s worse, the Yiga were waiting for him. I cannot sit here and wait any longer. I’ve been waiting far too long.”

               Impa looked at her with ancient eyes, searching for any sign of doubt. She found none. “I see.” A sigh, “That being the case, I cannot allow you to venture out there alone. In honor of the longstanding agreement between your family and mine, Paya will step forward as your protector and advisor.”

               Zelda balked. “Paya?”

               Paya was a nice girl—a shy girl—but to Zelda’s knowledge she was only good for keeping the house tidy and the town’s affairs in order. “I don’t know, Impa. It may be best if I go alone.”

               “Nonsense. You may think you’re prepared for what you’ll find out there, Princess, but Kakariko village is a far cry from the ruins of Hyrule. Guardians still roam the outskirts of civilization—bandits and thieves walk every road. None will care that you were once royalty. The kingdom is gone—everything you know is gone.”

               The severity of her tone caught Zelda off guard.

               “And Paya is a Shekiah. We all are.  My time here is coming to an end, but hers—she will be here to see you rebuild. Take her with you. She has much to learn, but so do you. Does my recommendation mean nothing to you?”

               “No, Impa, I trust your judgement. I always have.” She bit her tongue to keep a wayward ‘but’ from slipping out. “We’ll leave tonight. I’ll help Paya pack.”

               “I’ll handle Paya. Send her in when you leave.”

               Zelda nodded obediently, and did as she was told. Her heart wanted to leave right then and there, Impa’s advice be damned, but she was far too wise to let her heart sweep her off her feet.

* * *

Link rejoined Tabitha and Brutus with the firewood he’d taken from the front of the woodcutter’s shed, and between the three of them they got a small fire going. The tarp overhead kept the sun off their backs while they rested (though Link just laid down to think while the others slept), and by the time the sun had gone down, they were ready to head out again.

               The moon was a white sliver that night, nothing like the crimson globe that had dominated the sky the night before, but they didn’t get to look at it for long. Tabitha led them to the edge of the Plateau before the moon had risen too high, and Link got a firsthand look at the drop ahead. They were so high up that the mist below almost looked like clouds.

               He got up right on the edge of the dilapidated fortress wall that marked the border between here and the fall, feeling the evening wind brush by. The air smelled crisp and cool, and even though Link hadn’t slept during the day, he felt ready to take on whatever came next.

               “Don’t fall,” Brutus advised, causing Link to turn back around. Tabitha was fussing with a hatch in what remained of the stone floor, swinging the door open a second later.

               “Alright, boys, we’re in.” She smiled, standing to let Brutus go first. “All that’s between us and getting off this hunk of high rock is about two dozen flights of stairs.”

               “At least going down will be easier than going back up,” Brutus mumbled, starting his descent. Tabitha motioned for Link to go next, and before he knew it, they were in the guts of what had once been a mighty fortress.

               Tabitha lit a torch once the light from the hatch was gone, and the only way Link could see to go was down. The stairs were crumbling away in places, cracked and chipped, and there were spots he wasn’t sure how they’d get past. Stranger still, however, were the eyes.

               Link could see them peering at him through the darkness that the torch hadn’t chased away. They didn’t come in pairs, either; only small specks of fiery orange in the abyss. Their pupils dilated and constricted, following him mercilessly.

               Neither Brutus nor Tabitha paid them any mind, so Link tried to ignore them until he couldn’t any longer.

               The stairs in front of them were covered with a substance Link couldn’t describe. It was black, living, glowing, housing countless eyes and teeth; it almost reminded him of what he’d imagine an animal might look like if it’d melted. The others walked through it like it was nothing—in fact, he was sure he saw it part for them.

Link stayed firmly on the other side, too unnerved to just follow suit. “What is it?” He asked, interrupting the conversation that Brutus and Tabitha had been having.

               Tabitha looked back at him, “Huh? Oh—people call it malice. It’s King Ganon’s way of keeping an eye on everything that’s going on in Hyrule without leaving the confines of his castle. It… can be nasty, if it doesn’t want you around. But, hey, you’re rolling with us. You were his most trusted guardsman. I’m sure it’ll let you through.”

               Brutus didn’t look so sure.

               “Come on,” Tabitha waved him forward, “Trust us.”

               Link looked at the tar before him, and the tar stared back. He thought back to the old man on the plateau. When he looked at Tabitha and Brutus, he didn’t see anything he shouldn’t trust. They looked like everyday travelers, and they’d helped him get this far. If they were really murderous snakes, surely they’d have already tried to kill him.

               So he stepped forward, holding his breath, and watched as the muck cleared before him. The eyes watched him carefully, letting him take one step after another until he’d made it to the other side. Brutus exhaled. Tabitha smiled.

               “Told you.”

               Link smiled back, but as soon as he’d cleared the malice he felt a sharp sting in the back of his neck. He turned just fast enough to see a whip-like tendril recede back into the sludge, and when he reached back to check what’d happened, his palm came back with the smallest smattering red and black. “Ow—“ He muttered, wiping his hand on his pant-leg, “It stung me.”

               “Oh, y’know,” Tabitha waved it off, “It’s like bees. You get stung once, you’re immune forever.”

               “I don’t think that’s how bees work, Tab.”

               This sparked another conversation Link wasn’t involved in, and they carried on down floor after floor until the fortress wall spat them back out in the grasslands below. The moon was high in the sky by then, and the fields were silent save for the odd cricket here and there.

               Horses grazed not too far away, and Brutus stretched like he’d been in a cage that was two sizes too small. “Gah, glad that’s over. All that’s left between us and home is one long open road!”

               “One long, long, _long_ open road.” Tabitha sighed, “Let’s see if we can’t get to the stables by daybreak, huh? I’d love a night at one of those crummy horse-inns.”

               They ended up getting to the stables near the outskirts just before dawn. The man at the counter stuttered when they’d asked for board after seeing Link’s tunic, and gave them a generous discount. They didn’t even ask Link to pay.

               Tabitha stayed up at one of the inn’s tables for an hour or so, penning a letter before sending it off in the claws of a black bird Link couldn’t name.

               He laid in bed that night, staring at the bottom of the bunk above him, willing his mind to still long enough that he could get some rest. When his eyes did finally close, the darkness that greeted him didn’t last long.

               He woke up in a grassy field not unlike the one he’d found after leaving the plateau, but the sky was starless. Ahead of him, he only saw endless flatlands.

               _“He’s here,”_ He heard. The voice was almost overcome, dainty and feminine, _“You’re back.”_

 _“Finally going to grace us with your presence after all this time, hm?”_ A well annunciated masculine voice from a different direction. _“You’d think we’d have seen more of you, given how long you were asleep.”_

 _“Go easy on him, Revali.”_ Said a second womanly voice, much stronger than the first, _“A lot has happened.”_

               He could almost see figures in the distance; four distinct profiles. “Who are you?”

               _“Who am I?”_ Revali asked, offended, _“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your fellow champions. The King said you may have forgotten some things, but us? Shameful.”_

 _“It’s not his fault.”_ The stronger woman chided, _“Link, we’re glad you’re back.”_

               They were more in focus now. There was a young looking fish-girl standing beside a tall Gerudo woman, and a Rito with his back to him behind them both. He could make out their faces, but they were barely there. Transparent, glowing.

Ghosts.

               _“We’re going to strike Ganon d—“_

Before she could continue, the ground shook. Steam rose from a newfound fissure between himself and the lights in the distance, thick and black, and whatever they said next was drowned out by a mighty laugh.

               “ _It’s been a long time, Hero.”_ The smoke began to take form, eventually standing before him as the dark silhouette of what might’ve been a man, _“You’ve lost everything. Your sword, your memories… Unfortunate.”_

               Link was on his guard, standing ready to run.

               _“Don’t be afraid, boy. Do you know who I am?”_

               It wasn’t difficult to guess. “You’re… Ganon.”

               _“Very good. What you see before you now is all I can muster of my humanity. The last century has drained me of most everything I once was; my power, my sense… talking to you as I am now is a great feat.”_

 _“I’ve heard what my men have told you. They say you were my knight. That you fought for me, 100 years ago.”_ He paused, _“They’re lying to you. The truth is much more complex than that.”_

_“This struggle—between myself, you, and the Princess- the one they call a witch—has been going on for tens of thousands of years. She fights to protect her kingdom. I strive to destroy it.”_

_“I was a man once. Not always this… monstrosity.”_

The smoke around them began to shift and change, showing Link the same Hyrule Castle he’d seen from atop the plateau.

               _“The truth is, Link, that creature swarming the castle you once called home is not me. It’s the Calamity—it is a monster that the fools you travel with worship. I’ve been trying to control it for centuries, but your Princess sees my attempts at re-incarnation as a threat to the foundations of Hyrule. The truth is, without a vessel, the monster can continue growing in power indefinitely. It takes the hatred and death and malice of the land and gives it substance.”_

He raised his arm, though it was still only a silhouette, and a symbol flared in brilliant gold. _“This is the mark of the Goddess. It grants me power unrivaled. If I was allowed to live again… if you give the Calamity time to be reborn as a mortal—as me—I will control it, and this nightmare you’ve lived will end. The Princess will never understand that this is the only way to end the cycle we’ve been trapped in for so long.”_

Link looked at the symbol—the Trifoce—and felt something resonate from deep within his being.

 _“You hold a piece, too. It’s an artifact that’s been forgotten by the people of this land. They resonate when they’re near one another.”_ He lowered his arm, and the faint glow vanished. _“There’s much you don’t know. I’ve lived a hundred lifetimes, and met you in each. Often as enemies, where the Calamity’s rage controls me—and rarely as friends.”_

 _“Listen to me. In the innermost sanctum of the palace, there lies the heart of the calamity. For one hundred years, it’s been locked in stasis, unable to reform. The malice has had time to grow over it like plaque. For this to end—for this to_ truly _end—you must find your way to the inner sanctum and free that heart from the malice and the seal that binds it. If you are successful, I will be relieved of this curse that’s plagued me for so long. Can I trust you?”_

Link had listened to him intently, weighing his every word. He sounded so collected, so sincere…

So, he nodded.

 _“It is truly a sign of change.”_ Ganon laughed, _“when you and I are on the same side. The look in your eyes… that dedication… I remember it well.”_

_“From now on, when you sleep, I will teach you what I know both of you from lives long past and the God’s gift that we share. With my help, you will be able to reach the Sanctum and end this. As for the Princess…”_

The smoke began to clear. A single star in the night shone above all else, brilliantly golden-white. _“She’s stubborn. She will never believe what I’ve told you; she’ll want to renew the seal and let the evil fester to live on to destroy the Hyrule of another lifetime. So irresponsible. It’s not her fault that history repeats itself, I suppose.”_

Link stared at the star in the darkness, but spoke to Ganon. “Why did you tell me we were enemies?”

_“Because I’m an honest man. We have been enemies for a long time, but only by the will of the gods. The Calamity is much bigger than you or I, and while I found it’s power a blessing in the past, it’s grown to be a sentient parasite. In my experience, you’re the only one capable of ridding me of such a pest.”_

_“You will wake soon. The two with you aim to take you into the desert, and likely intend to kill you should you dissent. It would be wise to be rid of them before they strike. Have you so much as picked up blade since you awoke?”_

The smoke formed up to show Tabitha and Brutus, now holding vicious weapons the likes of which Link had never seen. They began closing in on him, one step at a time.

               “ _Think of them as practice. You will have to slay far greater creatures between here and the castle.”_

Just as the mirage of Tabitha rose her weapon, Link woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the read. If you have a second, dropping a comment below would make my day.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please, if you have even a second, leave a comment. Knowing people read this makes me want to continue doing it!


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